Atitudes e práticas das forças policiais face à comunidade cigana

Abstract

This study is part of a research project which aim is to understand how the police acts towards the gipsy community in Portugal, as well as the type of practices and strategies used with this community. It is also intended to examine whether there is any discrimination by the police against the acts committed by the gipsy community, what are the behavioral and performance differences by the police forces between the gipsy community. The finding of discriminatory phenomena, by the society in general, against this ethnic minority, reflects the existence of several tensions between the two communities. This study, based on a qualitative methodology was conducted with semi-structured interviews in a sample of 15 participants (GNR and PSP) grouped by theoretical sampling. The results showed that on one hand, the police tend to be discriminatory, linking the crime only to ethnic and cultural differences, but on the other hand, the crime is analyzed and punished according to the seriousness of the acts, not being considered an act of discrimination.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Mariana Barbosa (Supervisor)